The Mark of a Tyrant
by Angelheart17
Summary: Savers Universe. After Kristy disappears, mysteries erupt as to who the Tyrants are. Soon, the Data Squad is left with one choice: to go to the Digital World to find Kristy, and hope they find her before the Dragon King does.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi, Everyone! I'm Angelheart, and welcome to my newest story. It's also my first new story since I started High School. **

**This story takes place in the Data Squad universe, a few years after the humans and digimon separate.**

**So, without further ado, let's get this show on the road!  
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Miki and Megumi walked down the hallway DATS headquarters, hand in hand. It was their first time back in HQ in years.

"I almost can't believe it's the same place." Whispered Megumi.

Miki nodded. Once, it had been a state-of-the-art facility with one-way glass and shiny metal. It had been the second home of warriors in a secret war.

Now, half destroyed and left to rot, the two friends could barely recognize it. The glass was broken and dust covered everything. The caved-in roof let in just enough moonlight to see the sorry state of their former home.

"I almost can't believe it's the same place." Said the blond.

The black-haired one smiled ruefully. "Yeah. Almost."

"…Yeah."

Miki was right. Everywhere they looked, they saw signs of their old life. The chessboard they used to play with. A piece of the digital gate. Someone's old uniform. The remains of a computer Marcus had crashed.

Megumi squeezed. Miki squeezed back. It was a place that almost felt like a memory. A memory where the pieces longer fit together.

No Kamemon serving tea. No Kudomon giving orders. No Lalamon to comment on Yoshi's poor ability to do chores. No Agumon demanding food.

No silent companions to offer a hand or a friendly ear. No brash teenage boy to argue with.

The two women began to cry.

It hurt. They knew it would. But they needed to come here. It was the only way to convince themselves it was really real.

Everyone else was content to bury the past. Never talk about it. Never bring it up. Never point out that something felt slightly wrong.

Never, ever say the name 'Marcus Damon'.

Finally, the rivers of tears subsided.

"Megumi?"

"Yeah?"

"Let's go back. Everyone's probably waiting for us."

"Okay."

* * *

><p>On the other side of town, three men and a woman were in the basement, talking and drinking coffee.<p>

The first was broad-shouldered, and was clearly moving into middle age. The second was young and blond, just entering his prime. The third was the oldest by far, with gray hair and wrinkles.

The last was a woman of about 30 with glasses. She was dressed in a lab coat, and smiled sincerely as she examined her papers.

She put the papers down and nodded to the young man. "Very impressive, Dr. Norstein."

"I've told you before. You're among friends here, so call me Thomas."

"If you say so… Thomas."

Thomas nodded at the woman. "And if you don't mind, I'd like to call you by your first name, as well. What was it, again?"

"I'm Enyo. It's a pleasure to meet you."

The middle aged man joined the conversation. "I've brought Professor Enyo over from Greece. She's an expert on mythology all over the world."

"Oh, stop, commander Sampson." Said Enyo, who was turning pink.

"Anyway," said Sampson. "We should get on with the meeting."

Thomas looked around the room. "Where's Spencer?"

"That's 'Dr. Damon' to you, Thomas." The commander scolded.

The old spoke for the first time. "I heard Spencer won't be joining us. He had a family issue he just couldn't put on hold."

Sampson glared at the old man while Thomas tried to hide his laugh with a cough.

Enyo looked concerned. "Do you know the details?"

"Something about his daughter."

"Must be nice to have family." Said the woman.

This was followed by awkward silence. The tall man cleared his throat and changed the subject.

"So, back to the matter at hand. Miss Enyo, if you would?"

"Oh…Uh…I…Of course." She got a meter stick and pointed to the chart behind her. "Um… Where was I?"

"There were ten monarchs…" prompted the old man.

"Oh, right. Thank you, Mr. Yushima."

"My pleasure."

Enyo started again. "I was looking at an old text that described a mythological world. As I studied it more, it began to remind me an awful lot of the Digital World you talk about. Monsters that are constantly changing… Humans who are partnered with said creatures… Sound familiar?"

The men nodded. The woman continued.

"Well, this text described ten feared and powerful leaders. They were ruthless, merciless, and oppressive. I believe the proper term is 'tyrant'."

Thomas stared at her.

"Is there something on my face?" she asked.

"No, it's just… You're like a totally different person when you lecture."

"Oh… really?"

Yushima nodded.

"Well, anyway, on the lecture… Where was I, again?"

"So, these tyrants…" said Sampson.

"Yes, that was it… As I was saying before, these ten rulers were all tyrants. Some reigned through force, others controlled through manipulation. The Scholar of the Beast was very famous. There's lots of info on him. The Boy who ruled the Air was another well-known one. And ruling them all with an iron fist was the Dragon King.

Eventually, the ten tyrants faded from power, but not until the Dragon King came up a plan. He figured out a way to rule for eternity. He and the others cast a spell to make sure their powers and abilities were passed down to worthy successors."

"I see." Interrupted Sampson. "You think the tyrants might be returning."

"Right. It is said that when these powers will manifest in a symbol on the back of one's hand."

"So, if a strange symbol suddenly appears on someone's hand, it's a good sign that they have the powers of the tyrants, correct?" asked Thomas.

Enyo nodded.

"Just how strange are these symbols?" asked the Commander.

"Well, there are ten different symbols, one for each of the dictators. The symbol of the Dragon King is said to be a sun. Another looks sorta like a star."

There were footsteps from outside. Fast footsteps, accompanied by panting.

A man with brown hair burst into the room.

"Whoa, Spencer!" said Sampson, "Where's the fire?"

Thomas turned to Enyo. "So much for Dr. Damon…"

Enyo snickered.

Yushima went over to the man. "What's going on?"

"Kristy…" he gasped, still out of breath.

"What about Kristy?"

"Kristy has been…"

"Yes?" asked Thomas, who was getting impatient.

"Kristy has been missing for over 24 hours!"

**Alright! First chapter, done!**

**Remember to review, guys. Don't go easy on me. If I'm going to fast, or you see something that doesn't make sense, please tell me. Of course, praise doesn't hurt, either.  
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	2. Chapter 2

**Hi again, people! Thanks to spring break, I've got this chapter in record time. I really like where this story is heading.**

**Anyway, for your enjoyment, here is Chapter Number Two!**

**I own nothing.  
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"_Kristy…" he gasped, still out of breath._

"_What about Kristy?"_

"_Kristy has been…"_

"_Yes?" asked Thomas, who was getting impatient._

"_Kristy has been missing for over 24 hours!"_

* * *

><p>"WHAT! What do you mean Kristy's been missing for a whole day!"<p>

They were currently at Kristy's school, the place where Kristy was last seen. Sampson had gone back to the police HQ, Yushima was sitting on one the benches with Enyo, and Thomas was on the phone with Yoshino. Yoshi was currently biting off Thomas's head.

"Why are you yelling at me? I just found out myself."

"Argh! I can't believe this! Alright, I'm gonna finish my shift, and then I be right down!"

"Yoshi, wait…"

CLICK!

The blond sighed loudly. "There she goes again."

Spencer walked into the room. He too sighed loudly, as he slumped into the seat besides Enyo. Yushima had just fallen asleep.

"Any luck?" she asked.

"None. She had a headache during English, and then she passed out when the class was about to end. Some of her classmates carried Kristy to the nurse's office. They were out of room to get her some water, but when they returned, Kristy was gone. Some of the students say they saw her wander toward the computer room. But after she entered the room, she was suddenly gone. No one has a clue what happened."

"You say someone actually saw her enter the computer room?" asked Enyo.

Spencer nodded. "Keenan Crier. He saw her enter the computer lab, and when he in to see what she was doing, she wasn't there anymore."

"Are you talking about Kristy?" asked a blue-haired boy, as he poked his head in.

"Hi, Keenan." said Thomas. "How are you?"

"I'm about as tired as you sound." replied Keenan.

"Were you the last person to see her?" Enyo asked him.

Keenan nodded. "Yeah. And we have English together, so…"

"English? Isn't that the class where Kristy collapsed?" Thomas asked Spencer.

"Yes, it was." He turned to Keenan. "I'm sorry, but would you please give a firsthand account of what happened?"

"Okay, but I hope this is the last time! I've told the same story to three other people already."

"Last time."

The boy sighed. "Fine, here goes. I was sitting next to Kristy, as usual. We usually have a few minutes of time to relax before class starts, so she was telling me about her dream from last night."

Everyone gave Keenan questioning looks.

"Kristy's been having strange dreams for a couple of weeks. She describes them as so vibrant, it didn't feel like a dream. She says it felt like real life." explained Spencer.

"Exactly." said Keenan. "So, she was telling me about her dream. But she kept rubbing her head. When I asked her about it, she told me she just had a minor headache. But just as the bell was about to ring, Kristy put her hand on her head and collapsed. I helped carry her to the nurse's office. I would've stayed longer, but the nurse told me to go back to class. Maybe if I had stayed, I could've stopped Kristy from disappearing…"

Keenan looked at the floor. Thomas could swear he saw tears in his eyes.

Apparently, he wasn't the only one. Spencer got off the bench and patted the boy's head.

"It's okay. You did everything you could."

Keenan nodded slowly.

The door burst open, surprising everyone and waking Yushima from his nap.

"I'm Not Late!" shouted Yoshino.

Thomas sighed again.

Yoshi walked up to Keenan. "Details! I want 'em!"

"Sit down and I'll explain." Said Spencer in a calming voice. Keenan looked gratefully in his direction.

Enyo was sitting there in a state of shock. "Is she always making entrances like that?"

Yushima chuckled. "Looks like she's picked up quite a few things in the police force."

"No, she does that just because she enjoys it so much." Remarked Thomas.

"What was that?" Yoshi remarked sweetly.

"Uh, nothing."

Enyo giggled. Then she surveyed the rather large group of people now in the room. Spencer, Keenan, Yushima, Thomas, Keenan, and herself.

"May I ask a question?" she finally said.

"Of course." Came Yushima's response.

"It's pretty obvious why Keenan's here, and Spencer. But what about the rest of you? Do you know Kristy or something?"

Yoshi finished her interrogation of Spencer and joined the conversation. "Well, It's kinda complicated… I guess the short version is that we'd promised a friend of ours that we would take care of her."

Enyo nodded slowly. Then she turned to Yushima. "What about you?"

"Oh, Spencer is an old friend of mine. I've always felt it was my duty to take care of his kids."

Thomas and Yoshi shared a look that clearly said, "That explains a lot."

The old man caught this look and chuckled again.

"Is there something I don't get?" asked the woman.

This conversation was conveniently interrupted by Keenan. "Are you the expert Sampson was bringing from Greece?"

"Why, yes, I am. Your name is Keenan, right?" asked the woman.

"Right. I'm Keenan Crier. What about you?"

"Call me Enyo. It's very nice to meet you, Keenan."

"Enyo was telling us earlier about these tyrants…" said Thomas. And he went into explaining the whole thing to Keenan and Yoshi.

"…So these tyrants all have a distinctive mark on their hands, right?" asked Keenan.

"That's right."

"Is there a particulate side? Like is it always left or something like that?" This question came from Yoshi.

Enyo thought about it a minute. "I believe it's whichever hand you use for writing."

"Or punching." whispered Thomas under his breath.

Yoshi and Keenan snickered quietly. Then they hurried and stopped.

Thomas got up. "Well, I'm gonna go take a walk."

As the door shut, Enyo turned to the rest of the group.

"He doesn't seem very concerned about Kristy."

Keenan smiled. "He doesn't show it, but we can tell."

Yoshi agreed. "I bet he's more worried about Kristy than most of us put together. So, about this big leader… The Dragon King is what you called him?"

* * *

><p>Outside, Thomas looked out over the ocean. He was standing at the spot where Agumon met his human partner.<p>

The exact spot where Marcus first met a digimon.

"Dang it… I promised Marcus. I promised him I'd always look out for his little sister. I promised him I'd protect Kristy."

He kicked a nearby tree in his anger. "But look at me! Kristy disappears right under my nose! And I don't even know where she is! Dang it…"

But unknown to him, his monologue was being overheard.

On a nearby rooftop, two shapes were watching him. One was quite small; the other was in the form of human child. They were both slightly animal in form.

They were digital monsters.

"So that's Thomas?"

The smaller one nodded. "Of course. I'd recognize him anywhere."

"He seems rather upset about something. Is it something to do with this Kristy person?"

"I'd imagine so. Thomas was always concerned for her well-being."

"Just who is this Kristy?"

"Kristy is the younger sister of Marcus Damon."

"What! Then this Kristy is Biyomon's partner?"

"That's correct. But the thing that interests me…" said the small digimon, "is her sudden disappearance."

"She disappeared in room filled with computers…" said the childlike digimon. "You don't think…"

"It's a possibility. Keenan and Spencer did mention Kristy having strange dreams."

"So after six months of wondering, it's finally starting."

"We must tell the Dragon King about this."

**And the plot thickens! Mwa ha ha!**

**Anyway, Questions? Comments? Please review!  
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	3. Chapter 3

**Hello, people! I'm hear to announce the arrival of the Third Chapter! Whoo!**

**Kupi: You seem excited.**

**Angel: Oh, Kupi! When did you get here?**

**Kupi: The easter bunny brought me.**

**Angel: Very funny. Well, as long as your here, introduce yourself.**

**Kupi: I'm Kupi, and I'm Lady's personal muse. Nice to meet you.**

**Angel: Remember, say the disclaimer!**

**Kupi: Lady Angelheart owns nothing.  
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In a room with a high ceiling and high-tech machines, a teenager sits on a throne. He is surrounded by digimon. On his right hand is a bright orange sun.

"What? So Kristy Damon is in the digital world?"

"We believe so, Dragon King. She was last seen in room of computers, so there's little doubt." said the childlike digimon.

"And she's been having strange dreams. AND she had a headache up until she collapsed. Right?"

"That's what we overheard."

"Did anyone happen to see her hand?"

"I'm sorry, sir, but I don't anyone was able to see it. Maybe the teacher or one of the students saw it."

"Send a scouting party to find out if she had a mark or not."

"Right away, sir."

"Until then, we lucked out!"

"My lord?"

"Lucky for us. Our first new recruit is someone who already knows about digimon. It means I don't have to explain everything."

A digimon in the shadows spoke up. "Does that mean you want to have her join us, Dragon King?"

"Of course. Alright, you, you and you." He points to the child digimon and two other digimon. "Come with me. Let's go pay Kristy a visit."

* * *

><p>Back in the real world, at Police HQ, Sampson was leading the investigation to find Kristy. It had been five days since Kristy had gone missing. Miki and Megumi were on tip lines, and Spencer was looking over the evidence once again.<p>

Yoshi, who on brake, was looking over Enyo's notes on the tyrants and their symbols.

"So this is the symbol of the Dragon King. It does look just like a sun." Yoshi looked at Enyo. "Do you have pictures of the other nine symbols?"

Enyo began fishing in her bag. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I do."

Yoshi began looking at those, too.

"You can see some familiar shapes, can't you?" asked the woman.

"Yeah, sorta. This is definitely a cross, and this is a heart, even if it looks a little strange. But there are also some that I have no clue what they are. Like this blue one. I have no clue what it is."

"I think it might represent a storm, but that's just a guess."

On Miki's computer the typing suddenly stopped.

"Commander!"

Everyone turned to her.

"What is it?" asked Sampson.

"I was monitoring digital world word traffic for Kristy, and I think I came upon something you should see."

"Digital world word traffic?" asked Enyo.

"We have a program that can monitor how many times a certain word or phrase has been spoken in the digital world. Miki was seeing if the name Kristy had been spoken in the digital world." answered Yoshi.

"I see."

Sampson was looking over the data. "So this phrase has spiked in usage in the last six months. So what?"

Miki took a deep breath. "The problem is that these are the statistics for the phrase, 'Dragon King'."

That got everyone's attention. Spencer put down his notes to get a look at the screen.

"Impossible…"

Enyo quickly moved to the computer. "You mean the strongest tyrant is not only awake, but he's been awake for six months?"

"I don't know for certain, but yes, that's probably what it means." said Megumi.

"Oh, this is so bad... Who knows how many others the Dragon King may have been able to influence by now…"

"Would it really be so bad if the tyrants were revived?" asked Spencer.

Enyo nodded. "It's said that the Tyrants knew of a method to control the Seven Demon Kings. I'm almost positive that these new rulers would know this method."

"Seven Demon Kings?"

"Seven Mega-level digimon, one for each of the seven deadly sins."

"What are the seven deadly sins?" asked Yoshi.

Thomas walked in. "Lust, greed, wrath, gluttony, envy, sloth, and pride."

"When did you get in, Thomas?"

"A few minutes ago. Anyway, I told you about this stuff a few years ago."

"You did?" said Miki.

"Yes. It was when digimon attacks were getting very frequent. I told everyone how digimon are affected by human emotions. And the seven deadly sins were the main emotions that drove humans to do evil things. Thus those emotions drove the digimon to do evil things."

"So who are the Seven Demon Kings?"

"Like Enyo said, they're seven megas, each representing a deadly sin. Remember Belphemon?"

Everyone nodded.

"He was one of the seven."

Nervous glances passed between the Data Squad.

Yoshi let out a high-pitched yelp. "You mean there are six other guys like him?"

"Yep. So as you see, ten humans that can control these digimon would be very dangerous." Finished Thomas.

"Exactly. Thank you, Thomas." Said Enyo. "Say, do you mind doing me a favor?"

"What kind of favor?" asked Sampson.

"Could you run the other tyrants through the machine? I want to see if the situation is any worse than just the Dragon King."

"Of course. Just give me the names." Said Miki.

"The Scholar of the Beast."

"Nothing on him."

"The Boy who rules the Air."

"Nope. He's inactive."

"The Princess of Heaven?"

"Nothi- Say…"

"What is it?" asked Thomas.

"The phrase 'Princess of Heaven' has spiked in use over the last week!"

"That's not good." Said Megumi.

Enyo sank into her chair. "This is not going well at all…"

"By the way," interrupted Thomas, "Did you do the search for Kristy?"

"Oops. I forgot." The typing resumed.

A cell phone rang. It seemed to be coming from Spencer.

"Whoops. It's for me." He fished the phone from his pocket and answered it.

Then the typing stopped. Two yells of "I got It!" filled the room.

"Find something, Miki? Megumi?" asked Sampson.

"Yes!" shouted Megumi.

"The rate of the usage of 'Kristy' has gone through the roof!"

"The timing of the spike coincides with Kristy disappearance, exactly! We found her!"

Thomas looked at Commander Sampson. "Is the digital gate stable enough for this mission?"

"It will be a long shot, but I believe we can get there and back."

Spencer got off the phone. "I'm sorry, but I've received a message from Kristy's teacher. It looks like she might have some news for us."

"Go, then." Said Enyo. "And while you're gone, make sure to pack. It looks like we're going to the Digital World."

* * *

><p>At the Dragon King's base, the child digimon was giving instruction to the others.<p>

"Those of you in the scouting party, remember to stay hidden. This is a stealth mission. If something goes wrong, come back to the digital world immediately. Don't stick around, and whatever you do, don't fight."

Then she turned to everyone else. "The rest of you, watch over Luna Azul. Call us if something happens. If you see a shadow creature, inform us and keep close watch on it. Any questions?"

Silence.

"Good. We'll be back in a week at the latest."

She left the room.

The groups of digimon went their separate ways. In a corner, a Solarmon was talking to a Tankmon.

"Hey, Tankmon, who was that?" asked Solarmon.

"What? You don't know? Man, you must be a total noob."

"I came to Luna Azul last night. So, fill me in."

Tankmon sighed. "Fine. So, that digimon who looks like a human girl? She's the Dragon King's right hand. He's the leader and he's very powerful, but she's the one who makes sure things get done."

"And what do you know about the Dragon King? I came here because I believe in he's saying, but what is he really like?"

"The Dragon King is human, through and through. He came to the base about six months ago, and things have been going great since he took over."

"I know he's a smooth talker, but there are a lot of digimon her. He must be very influential."

"Yes, he's excellent at making others see his view. When he came here, it was just him, her, and a small band of digimon. But look at him now!"

A Starmon called out. "Hey, you two! You don't have time to be chatting. Now quit goofing off!"

"Yes, sir!"

* * *

><p>"Thanks for seeing me on such short notice, Dr. Damon." said Kristy's teacher.<p>

"Not at all." Replied Spencer. "If anything, I should be thanking you for helping to find Kristy."

"Well, I don't if it's important, and it might even be what some call trivial, but…"

If ten years in the digital world had taught Spencer anything, it was that minor details could be the most vital. "It might not be trivial. It might be just the clue we need."

"If you say so…" she took a deep breath. "When Kristy collapsed, the strange mark on her hand began to bleed."

"…What strange mark?"

"The one her left hand that's shaped like a star."

Spencer felt his blood run cold. "I don't remember her having that."

"…Really? But I thought she always had it."

**Angel: And that's a rap!**

**Kupi: Kristy's in trouble, isn't she?**

**Angel: Heaps. Anyway, please review. It's gets pretty lonely over here!**

**Kupi: Tranlation. Lady's depressed about not having a single review.**

**Angel: Why? Is my story just not good enough or something? *Sob*  
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	4. Chapter 4

**Angel: Hello everyone, and welcome to the fourth chapter!**

**Kupi: Lady would like to thank everyone who's read this far.**

**Angel: Special shout out to Dunk234 and Neko Haruko! The first favorite and review for my story! **

**Kupi: Please give a round of applause to everyone!**

**Angel:*Claps* Alright, let's get the show on the road. Kupi, if you please.**

**Kupi: Lady owns nothing.  
><strong>

Spencer walked into the basement of the Crier home. The usual group awaited him. Ten days had passed since Kristy's disappearance.

Sampson nodded to Kristy's father. "Dr. Damon. We have the team picked out for this mission."

"Excellent. Who's going?"

"Thomas, Yoshino, Keenan, Enyo, Yushima, and you. Everyone except Yushima is ready to go."

"Where is Yushima, anyway?" asked Yoshi.

"He called me earlier to say he would be late."

Thomas was on the phone with his sister. "Yeah, we're all heading to the digital world… No, we're not going to get into any fights. We're just going to find Kristy… Don't worry, I'll be careful. You be careful too, okay? ...I love you, too. Bye."

Thomas hung up. Enyo smiled at the scene.

"It's so sweet how you look after your sister, Thomas."

He blushed. "I'm just doing what any big brother would do."

"It's too bad Kristy doesn't have a big brother to look after her." Said the woman.

This remark was followed by an awkward silence.

Yoshi was the first to find the words. "Enyo, what happened to your hand?"

Everyone looked. Sure enough, Enyo's whole hand was tightly bandaged.

"Oh, it's nothing. I just scratched it on a fence, yesterday."

"You're sure it's not nothing?" asked Spencer.

"It'll be fine in a few days. Don't worry."

Sampson was the hand a closer look. "All the same, you shouldn't over-exert yourself. And if it starts to look infected, inform someone immediately. Understood?"

Enyo mock-saluted him. "Yes, sir!"

Keenan came downstairs, his family right behind him.

"Good news! It will be risky, but we can use the digital gate to get from the digital world and back!"

Yoshi cheered, and Thomas smiled.

Spencer looked to Kevin Crier. "Is this true?"

Kevin nodded. "Still, it's a good idea to be cautious. The two world are still a bit unstable. Don't take unnecessary risks and don't take longer than you have to. Am I clear?"

Everyone nodded.

Then the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it." Said Michelle Crier. She handed Ruka off to Keenan went to answer the door.

Ruka looked to her older brother. "Keena' gonna go?"

"Just for a little while, then I'll be back."

"Promise?"

"I promise. Besides, I'm going to keep another promise."

"Another promise?" she said.

"Yes." Keenan pulled a necklace out of his pocket. It was one of those BF necklaces.

"Half a heart?" asked Ruka.

"That's right. You keep half, and give the other half to your best friend."

"Oh. Are you looking for the other half?"

"In a sense, yes. But can I tell you a secret?"

Ruka nodded.

Keenan smiled. "It's the best friend that I'm really looking for."

Everyone had stopped talking to pay attention to this conversation.

Yoshi smiled. "Aw. Isn't that cute? Keenan likes Kristy!"

Thomas looked at Spencer. "What do you think of that, sir?"

"As long as she's happy, I'm happy."

"Ah, that's right. I forgot. You're the kind of person wouldn't care if she took over a kingdom and allied herself with the Dragon King, as long as she was happy."

"What do you mean?"

Yoshi gave the man a rueful look. "Hey, weren't you the yelled, 'go live your dream.'?"

Spencer finally got what they were hinting at.

"What are you talking about?" asked Enyo.

At that moment, Michelle returned.

"Yushima's here!"

They all turned to the door.

"What happened to your arm!" yelled Yoshi.

Sure enough, Yushima had his arm in sling. A cast covered his arm from his fingers to his elbow.

"Oh, this?" Yushima glanced at his broken arm. "I guess I didn't watch where I going. Someone's cat or dog or something tripped me just I was going down the stairs. Terrible luck, huh?"

He chuckled. But in a flash of instinct, Thomas knew that somewhere in that answer was a lie.

No one else seemed to have caught it.

"That's two people injured, and this trip hasn't even started." Yoshi rubbed her forehead. "This is the worst…"

Sampson interrupted. "No matter. The rest of you will have to take up the slack. Make your final preparations. You leave in one hour"

* * *

><p>"Let me get this straight." Said the Dragon King into a device. "Yushima tripped on you while you were on the mission?"<p>

"Unfortunately, yes, that's the gist of it." came a voice from the device.

"Does he know it was you?"

"I'm not sure, but I do think he knows a digimon tripped him."

"Terrific... I put you in charge of the scouting party because I believed you of all people could be discrete. And you let me down!" the anger in his voice was unmistakable.

"I'm sorry, Dragon King." The voice on the other end was filled with shame.

"You better have some good news to report."

"There has been some progress in that area. First of all, it was determined that Kristy Damon was indeed marked."

"I already know. I saw the mark myself."

"We have also just heard that the group sent to retrieve Kristy will be arriving in the digital world in about an hour."

"An hour, you say?"

"Yes."

A smile spread across the face of the Dragon King. "I see. Return to Luna Azul until further notice."

"Understood. Over and out."

Click!

An hour. Perfect. Enough time to do something, but not enough time to be detected.

He turned to the child digimon. "Change the coordinates of their landing point. Can you dump them five days away from the Princess of Heaven?"

"I'm not sure, but I'll try. I know I can get at least three days."

"Then do what you can. But make dead sure that they get dumped on the river we agreed on."

"Of course, sir."

* * *

><p>Thomas felt the adrenalin as he and his companions flew through the boundary between the human world and the digital one. After all these years, he was returning.<p>

Would he run into Gaomon? He hoped so.

But there was someone else he hoped to run into, as well.

He saw the light at the end of the tunnel. He was looking at a forest with a river running through it…

Someone swore, and Thomas realized that he had an aerial view.

Spencer laughed nervously. "I hope nobody minds us dropping in."

"Are you seriously making jokes at a time like this!" yelled Yoshi.

"Incoming!" yelled Keenan as they exited the tunnel.

"Well, look at the bright side," said Yushima. "It's a beautiful day."

Thomas had no time to consider this. He was looking at a particularly big pine tree that was coming really close…

CRASH!

A few minutes later, after everyone had been de-tangled from the branches, they were one the ground. No one was hurt too bad, and the supplies survived the fall relatively intact.

Everyone was about to start on the journey when Thomas went over the map.

"That can't be right..."

"Something wrong, Thomas?" asked Enyo.

"…We double-checked the landing calculations before leaving, right?"

"I triple-checked them myself." Said Spencer.

Thomas sat down, looking increasingly stressed. "This isn't good."

"What is wrong?" asked Keenan.

The blond looked at the data. "I can't believe it…"

"Spit it out, Thomas!"

"…We're so off our landing point, it take at least four days to reach Kristy."

Everyone let this information sink in. Then their voices were raised in disbelief.

"WHAT!"

**Angel: And that's a rap!**

**Kupi: The Dragon King saw the mark himself... Does that mean he's already met up with Kristy!**

**Angel:*Grins* Make of it what you will.**

**Kupi: Sigh...**

**Angel: Anyway, please review, people!  
><strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi people! I welcome you to the fifth chapter!**

**Kupi: I'm amazed. This story is getting readers from all over the world.**

**Angel: So am I. Hello to my readers in the UK, Australia, Germany, Malaysia, Columbia, Romania, and Spain!**

**Kupi: Not to mention the many of you in the USA!**

**Angel: *Claps* And now, Chapter Five!**

**Kupi: Lady owns nothing.  
><strong>

_The blond looked at the data. "I can't believe it…"_

"_Spit it out, Thomas!"_

"…_We're so off our landing point, it take at least four days to reach Kristy."_

_Everyone let this information sink in. Then their voices were raised in disbelief._

"_WHAT?"_

* * *

><p>"How? How did we land so far off course?" asked Spencer.<p>

It had been a hard day of walking. The group had stopped to make camp for the night. The sun had set, and the stars had come out.

Thomas was looking over the calculations for the tenth time. "I don't know. Everything should have gone perfectly. But something went wrong. I just don't know what."

Enyo was changing the bandages on her hand. "You don't think someone messed with the landing point, do you?"

Thomas looked at the data again. "Maybe. But even if that's true, they're probably long gone by now."

Keenan was hopping through the treetops above them. "Wheeee!"

"Keenan, will you sit down?" asked Yoshi. She glared into the tree branches.

"But it feels so good! I have not lost it!"

Enyo, too, was watching the youngest of the group. "Like it in the trees, Keenan?"

"He grew up in the digital world. Wouldn't you like to be back in your childhood home after five years?" asked Spencer.

Suddenly, Keenan froze. "What's that?"

Everybody looked. Towering above them was a gigantic shadow. It stood twice as tall as most trees, and its silhouette blotted out the stars.

"Quick! Everyone, under here!" whispered Thomas urgently. The others promptly ran under the branches of a pine tree.

No one said anything as the enormous shape passed by. Whatever it was, it walked on four legs and shook the ground as it walked.

Finally, its footsteps faded into the distance.

Each person breathed out a sigh of relief.

"…We're safe." announced Yoshi.

Thomas came out from under his cover. "Yeah, until that thing decides to come back."

"What was that thing, anyway?" asked Enyo.

Keenan was still looking at the sky. "Was it a digimon?"

Spencer shook his head. "It's not one that I've seen before."

"And that's saying a lot." Said Thomas.

* * *

><p>Back at Luna Azul….<p>

Solarmon ran into a room filled with digimon.

"The Dragon King has returned!"

Everyone ran to the entrance where the Dragon King was, like they were under a spell.

"Welcome back, sir!"

"We've been waiting for you!"

"So, what's the story?"

"Did you succeed?"

"Tell us what happened!"

"One question at a time!" he yelled over the chaos. "First of all, did anything 'interesting' happen while I was gone?"

One of the digimon by a computer spoke up. "We have found another shadow creature."

"Another one? Where is it?"

"About three days west of Kristy."

He paused. "Three days… That puts it really close to Kristy's retrieval group, doesn't it? How is it acting?"

"It appears calm, and is moving south at a constant speed."

"Inform me immediately if it's behavior changes."

"Right."

"Any luck finding Lilithmon?"

A different digimon spoke up. "We're looking, but we can't find her anywhere. It's like she disappeared into thin air.

The Dragon King swore. "Darn it… Well, keep looking. She can't have gone far."

"Right, Dragon King."

"Okay, due to recent events, I think it would be best to call role regularly from now on, starting now. Sound like a plan?"

They agreed it sounded sensible.

"Good. Keenan?"

"Here."

"Spencer?"

"Here."

"Yoshi?"

"Present."

"Enyo?"

"I'm here."

"Yushima?"

Silence.

Everyone looked around. Yushima wasn't in the group.

They looked around there area. They checked the path. They looked in the nearby bush.

Yushima simply wasn't there.

Thomas rubbed his forehead. "Okay, let's go over this like sensible people. When was the last time anyone saw Yushima?"

This was met with more silence as the group exchanged glances.

Spencer ran his hand through his brown hair. "We are not off the best start, are we?"

Back at police HQ, Miki and Megumi were working overtime. It was dark, expect for the lights of the computer.

"Hmm? That's odd…" said Megumi. She looked at the screen, cocked her head, moved her mouse, and stared. "Hey Miki, c'mere for a sec'."

Her raven-haired best friend came to the computer.

"So? It's the sign of the Dragon King. That weird sun-thing. What about it?"

"Well, I was looking over our digimon files, and I found this."

The blond girl clicked her mouse.

Miki stared the screen. "You're right. That is weird."

"Why would…?"

"I don't know, but…"

"Do you think this kind of thing is rare?"

"Only one way to find out."

"You mean…"

Miki nodded. "It's too good to pass up, in my opinion."

"I guess you're right." Megumi looked around. "There's no one here, besides us, right?"

"I'll go check. In the meantime, gather all the data we have on the Tyrants."

"Right."

* * *

><p>After three days of hard walking along the river, the party reached an obstacle. They had seen a few more glimpses of the humongous shadow, but other than that, it had been a fairly uneventful trip. They still had found no trace of Yushima.<p>

Yoshi was staring up at the top of the waterfall. "It's so pretty…"

Thomas was looking in the same direction with a sour expression. "I guess. But how do we get up there?"

"Unbelievable." said Spencer as he looked at the map. "We're only an hour away from Kristy's location. What else could go…"

"Don't say it!"

Keenan snickered. Then he went back to gazing at the steep cliffs. "Could we climb it?"

"I wouldn't suggest it." Replied Enyo. "It's really high up. One false step and…"

"Well, what do we have here?"

They looked up to the very top of the cliff. Two digimon were up there, looking down. Despise the poor view of them, Thomas could tell they were both about the same height, and shorter than he was.

"Hello!" Spencer called the digimon. "We were simply looking for a friend of ours, but she's on the other side of this waterfall. You wouldn't happen to know a way up there, would you?"

"What? It's easy! We'll come down and show you!"

And before anyone could say anything about it, the two digimon leaped from the cliff. They floated in the air for a while, then they came down with a loud Crash!

When the dust cleared, the group was faced with two totally unharmed digimon.

Yoshi cooked her head. "They sorta look like my grandparents."

"They're Jijimon and Babamon." Said Spencer.

Babamon whacked him on the head. "Don't refer to you elders as 'they're' like they're not in the room! You're supposed to introduce us!"

"Young whippersnappers have no manners." Said Jijimon.

Yoshi was sharing a confused look with Enyo. Thomas was trying not to laugh.

Keenan finally broke the silence. He went up to Jijimon, bowed and stuck out his hand for a handshake.

"It is nice to meet you. I am Keenan. Would you please help us up the waterfall?"

Jijimon laughed and returned the handshake.

"Ha!" said the old woman digimon. "I see that this one knows his manners!"

"Rather like the Princess of Heaven in that regard."

"Yes, she is very well-behaved. Unlike the Dragon King."

"Don't I know it! That was the first time in a while someone had be shaped up so badly!"

"It was fun, though!"

Both Digimon burst out laughing.

"Wasn't it supposed to rude to pretend someone wasn't in the room?" asked Yoshi under her breath.

"Don't talk back to your elders, young lady!" shouted Jijimon, hitting her with his staff.

"Ow!"

Thomas couldn't take it anymore. He burst into peals of laughter.

Enyo was also hiding a smile as she turned to the couple. "So, how do you get up there?"

Jijimon and Babamon looked at each other, their smiles fading.

"What?"

"Well, we'd love to, but…"

"…We're sorta on guard duty."

"Guard duty?" wondered Spencer. "But you're talking to us now, aren't you?"

"See, that's the thing." Said Jijimon. "We're guarding the waterfall."

"We were ordered to watch the waterfall for any intruders."

The pieces were beginning to fall into place for Thomas. "You wouldn't happen to consider us intruders… would you?"

"You are trying to enter the Temple…"

"…And we weren't informed of your presence…"

"So as far as we're concerned, you people are intruders."

"Can't you let us by, just this once?" asked Yoshi, pleading with her eyes.

"Sorry lady, but rules are rules."

"Wait." Said Babamon. "There is something we can do."

"What?" asked Keenan.

"I'll make you a deal. We'll let you pass on one condition."

"Condition? What kind of condition?" inquired Enyo.

The old woman digimon smiled. "You have to beat us in a fight, first!"

**And that's a rap!**

**Kupi: What exactly did Miki and Megumi find weird?**

**Angel: You'll just have to wait and see.**

**Kupi: I see you enjoyed writing about Jijimon and Babamon.**

**Angel: That was a ball. Count on these guys to appear again.**

**Kupi: And remember to review!  
><strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi everyone! Sorry for the wait.**

**Kupi: Yeah, I'd call it a wait, alright.**

**Angel: Shut up. I'm doing the best I can, okay?**

**Kupi: Lady owns nothing.**

"_Wait." Said Babamon. "There is something we can do."_

"_What?" asked Keenan._

"_I'll make you a deal. We'll let you pass on one condition."_

"_Condition? What kind of condition?" inquired Enyo._

_The old woman digimon smiled. "You have to beat us in a fight, first!"_

* * *

><p>Thomas raised an eyebrow at this suggestion. These two digimon looked about as threatening as an elderly dog. Still, it was the quickest route to Kristy…<p>

"Would you prefer to fight us one-on-one or as a group?" he asked.

Babamon grinned. Jijimon cackled. "Divide into groups. One group will fight me and the other will fight this witch." He gestured to the old woman digimon.

Babamon heard this and took offence. "You old fool! I'm no witch, I'm your wife!" and She whacked him with her boom.

"Ow! You crazy woman!" Jijimon attempted to retaliate.

"Hey! Swing that thing at me, will you!"

"Um… Can I say something?" asked Enyo.

"What?" the two digimon said in unison.

Yoshi burst into giggles. Keenan gave the scene a confused look.

Enyo bit her lip against the laughter and continued. "Well, I don't have that much experience fighting, and my hand is injured. Can I sit this one out?"

"Sure!" they yelled together. Then they went back to fighting.

Thomas took advantage of the situation to talk to the rest of the group about recent developments.

"Alright, the first order of business is deciding teams. Anyone have any sort of preference?"

Yoshi raised her hand. "I'll take on Babamon. Care to join me, Keenan?"

"Okay!"

"Then I guess that means you and I are a team, right?" asked Spencer.

Thomas nodded. "Fine by me. Unlike a certain someone else, I never really got a chance to see how you fight."

"And this will be a good opportunity?"

"Of course."

The man laughed. "Okay, then! Jijimon, Babamon, we're ready to go!"

* * *

><p>Miles away, Yushima finally pushed through the forest and came upon a beautiful pond.<p>

The old man got to the shore and promptly collapsed. It had a hard journey, sneaking away from the group, walking for three and a half days, and doing it all with a broken arm.

All in all, he was tired.

But then again, it would be a while before he went back to the group. Weeks, maybe. So he could probably spare some time for a nap.

It'd been a digimon that tripped him on the stairs. Yushima hadn't been able to see what digimon it was, but…

For a digimon to be in the Human World, you needed a stable barrier between the two.

A digimon came up and sat right besides Yushima. The old man got a good look at the newcomer… and grinned.

"Well, that didn't take very long." Yushima said to himself.

The digimon shook his head and waved a pole over his head. "Nope."

"What, may I ask, are you doing?"

"Fishin'. Wanna join me?" he handed Yushima a second pole.

"Sure."

It wasn't very long before the old man got a bite.

"It's a big one." remarked the digimon.

"Indeed. Do you mind helping me?"

The digimon grabbed his pole, and they both pulled.

The 'big one' turned out to be a sneaker.

Yushima and the digimon burst out laughing.

"I've been fishing in the digital world for five minutes and I'm already starting a shoe collection."

"Some things never change, do they, Yushima?"

"Apparently not… Kamemon."

The turtle digimon smiled.

* * *

><p>It looked pretty close to even, thought Thomas as he sized up his competition.<p>

Each digimon had two experienced fighters to contend with. If the two groups were to fight against each other, it would be almost 50/50.

The problem was that he had no idea how strong the two digimon were.

He didn't have much time to consider it, however.

Babamon laughed. "Whenever you're ready… Let's Begin!"

Keenan moved in for the attack. The old woman digimon easily dodged it. The boy tried again. Babamon still avoided it.

Finally, Keenan sent her a flying punch. Babamon simply ducked. The blue haired boy landed in the trees.

"Ow… That was good! I used to fight digimon all the time."

"Really? You seem a little out of practice to me."

A little out of practice… Thomas had once been a champion boxer, capable of knocking out a seasoned street fighter with one blow.

But that was before going into medicine as a fulltime career.

With a sinking feeling, Thomas realized he hadn't been in a fight in at least two years.

And then Jijimon attacked.

Thomas tried to dodge, but the old man just came back around and gave Thomas a good whack.

The fight with Babamon seemed to be going equally as badly. Yoshino seemed to be lasting a little bit longer than Keenan –She was a police officer, after all –but that didn't mean she wasn't talking her fair share of blows.

Spencer was fighting Jijimon. Thomas got up and tried to land a hit from behind.

But just like before, the old digimon seemed to see it coming. He caught the punch and sent Thomas flying into Spencer.

And to finish the whole thing off, Babamon managed to flip Yoshi on her back and sit on her.

The fight hadn't lasted two minutes. The two digimon had come out as the undisputed victors.

"Okay, intruders." Said Jijimon. "Since you lost, and we still have guard duty, we have to deal with you in the manner of the Princess of Heaven."

"The Princess of Heaven? You mean she's nearby?" asked Enyo.

Babamon grinned. "Of course she's nearby. What, you think we were guarding this waterfall for the fun of it?"

"Babamon, get the ropes." Ordered the old man digimon. "We're taking you prisoner."

* * *

><p>After being tied up, hoisted up the waterfall, put in a boat, and paddled across a giant lake, Jijimon and Babamon lead the group onto an island where an ancient temple stood.<p>

"What is this place?" asked Thomas.

"The Temple where the Princess of Heaven rules." Said Jijimon, moving the group inside.

It was mostly stone, with the occasional gold decoration. The hallways were lit by torches and marked with symbols and writing.

"Look at this! This writing… it's exactly like the style in that old text. These must be from the same time period. Maybe there's more information about the Dragon King!" whispered Enyo as she examined the walls.

"You can study it later." Said Babamon. "But first you have to meet the Princess."

The hallway gave way to a larger room with a high ceiling. An empty throne sat on a platform. The throne was decorated with an eight pointed star; the mark of the Princess of Heaven.

They entered the room and were forced to the front. The old digimon shoed them to left of the throne, and took their spots on the left and right of the throne.

More digimon entered the room. They took their places beside either Jijimon or Babamon, forming an aisle. Finally, the last digimon entered. Together, the digimon in the room knelt on one knee and bowed their heads.

"Here she comes…" whispered Spencer.

And just as he predicted, a girl entered the room. She was dressed in a white silk dress that reached the floor, and she was decked out in gold jewelry. Her hair and face were hard to make out, as she wore a white veil and a gold mask. A turquoise star was on her left hand.

She was without a doubt the Princess of Heaven.

She walked down the aisle slowly. She was graceful, Thomas had to admit.

Following behind her was a large, majestic, pure white digimon. Hippogriffomon.

The Princess sat in her throne, with the ultimate digimon curved protectively around her. She made a motion with her hand. The other digimon relaxed. Then she spotted the human prisoners.

"Babamon, I assume these are the intruders?"

"Yes, my lady."

"Bring them forward."

Jijimon pushed them so they were front of the throne, the Princess looking down at them.

"Do you know how important this temple is?" she asked.

Enyo nodded. "I saw the symbols and text on the wall. It's a very ancient form of writing. I bet some valuable information of the old digital world is recorded there."

"That's right. Most of information here is still being deciphered, but what we have found is very important."

Spencer realized something. "Wait. That's why you're here, isn't it? To protect the temple, and the secrets it holds."

"Correct. It is the job assigned to me by the Dragon King."

This was a bit of a surprise for the Data Squad.

"The Dragon King!" Yoshino fell backwards in shock. "Are you saying you've already made contact with him?"

The Princess of Heaven nodded confidently, with no hesitation. "He came here last week, and without him, none of this would be possible."

"But… but…" Enyo struggled to find the words. "But he's an evil tyrant!"

The girl's expression hardened from behind her mask.

"Don't you ever call him evil in my presence! It's thanks to him that I'm where I am today, and I'll never let anyone call him a tyrant! Hippogriffomon!"

The half-horse, half-eagle digimon stood up and ruffled his feathers.

"Show this intruders to their room and keep an eye on them."

He nodded. Using his large wings, he ushered the Data Squad from the room.

**And that's a rap!**

**Kupi: Why's she so touchy about the Dragon King? Is being controlled or something?**

**Angel: Maybe... or Maybe not.  
><strong>

**Kupi: That's very helpful... Please review.  
><strong>


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi people! It's time for chapter seven!  
><strong>

**Kupi: It amazes me you were even able to get it up.**

**Angel: You and me both. My computer is beginning to get on my nerves.**

**Kupi: If you ask me, I think it's time to replace it.**

**Angel: You may be right...**

**Kupi: Lady owns nothing... including a working computer.**

**Angel: Sigh...  
><strong>

Back at Police HQ, Miki and Megumi were waiting by the computer for the next transmission.

"Have any nines?"

"Go fish."

The computer beeped.

"Wow, you've got great timing, Miki!" said the blonde as they abandoned their card game.

"Entering password… and we're there!"

"Yep, this is it!" Megumi stood up. "The log of the journey! It's about time. I'll go tell the commander!"

"Wait a minute." Said Miki as she grabbed her friend's hand.

"Huh? What's the matter?"

"Look. These are the digimon that the group has run into."

Megumi looked. "Jijimon. Babamon. Hippogriffomon. So?"

"Here, I'll zoom in."

There was a brief pause.

"Hey! There it is, again! That weird thing!"

"Well, not quite, but close enough."

"This makes two. There's gotta be more."

"Yeah. And I think I know just where to look."

* * *

><p>"Okay, I've sent Miki and Megumi a status report. Well, a status report missing a lot of important details, but it should keep them from getting suspicious." Thomas glared at Hippogriffomon.<p>

The digimon smiled. "You can give them a full report as soon as you're freed."

This made Yoshino scowl. "Oh, yeah? And when will that be?"

"The day after tomorrow at the latest."

Keenan raised his hand. "Um… you are her digimon, right?"

Hippogriffomon nodded.

"Then you have met the Dragon King, right?"

"I have."

"What is he like?"

Everyone turned to listen.

"Hmm… Well, I'd say he's both physically and mentally strong. Digimon look up to him and follow him. There are rumors that he uses hypnotism to gain followers, but if he does, he's never used on me. I know from experience that he has a very short temper."

"What are the chances of us meeting him in person?" inquired Enyo.

"As of now? Not good. Sometime in the future? The odds in your favor. But like I said, you guys won't be here long."

"What does that mean?" asked Spencer.

"First, The Princess of Heaven must show you something."

Someone knocked on the door.

The part-bird digimon grinned. "Speak of the devil."

"I'm coming in!"

It was the Princess of Heaven.

The door opened.

It was her, but she now wore a shorter dress and a lot less jewelry. What jewelry she did wear was cheap: a watch on her wrist, and an anklet of seashells. She still blocked her face, but now Thomas was able to guess that she was about Kristy's age.

Like before, Hippogriffomon went to stand by her side.

The princess smiled. It wasn't mocking or cold. Her grin was warm and friendly.

"Sorry for the theatrics earlier, but you know how it is with royalty. I have to maintain appearances."

Oddly enough, Thomas knew exactly what she was talking about, coming from something of a royal family himself.

"So," she bagan, "Babamon tells me that you guys are looking for someone, correct?"

Spencer nodded. "Yes. We're looking for my daughter. According to our information, she should be somewhere around here."

"I think our information may have screwed up this time." Said Yoshi while rolling her eyes.

The Princess of Heaven giggled and her eyes flashed knowingly. "Actually, your information seems right on the dot this time."

Thomas tried to figure out what that meant… And then he caught sight of Keenan.

Keenan was staring in shock at her necklace. Thomas followed his gaze.

Around her neck was a BF heart.

A nasty thought occurred to Thomas. This girl wasn't about Kristy's age; she was exactly Kristy's age.

As they stood transfixed, the Princess of Heaven removed her veil to revile red hair in pigtails.

Her mask fell to the floor, and her bright green eyes removed all doubt.

It was, undeniably, Kristy Damon.

She laughed. "What's with the shocked faces? You can't tell me that you didn't see that coming."

Spencer recovered first. "Wait a minute." He pointed at Hippogriffomon. "So, is that…"

Kristy nodded to the digimon. As they watched, Hippogriffomon began to shrink and change color.

"Biyomon!"

"Hello again! It's been a while!"

Then they burst out laughing at the amazed expressions.

* * *

><p>"You were right, Miki. The tyrant's symbols? They show up everywhere. Even in D.A.T.S!"<p>

Miki nodded. "I say we make this secret project one of our top priorities. There's something going on here."

"Emphasis on secret, right?" asked Megumi with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Exactly."

"Alright! Let's start looking and recording. Starting with the four we're already aware of."

"Try to look for patterns. Maybe a specific group has it more than others."

They were so into their task that they didn't notice when Commander Sampson walked into the room.

"What are you two doing?"

They squealed in surprise, turned around, and yelled in unison, "Commander! Don't sneak up on us like that!"

"I apologize."

Megumi grinned. "Seriously, though. Why do you keep doing that? Are you some kind of perv?"

Miki burst out laughing. "What's up with that? Don't say weird things, or I'm gonna die laughing!"

* * *

><p>"I must say, this is an amazing temple, Kristy."<p>

"You should've seen it last week. When I first showed up, it was almost in ruins." She paused. "Most of it still is, now that I think about it."

"But the entrance hall was in good condition." Said Enyo.

"That's because it was the last thing to go."

Spencer looked at the designs of the room. "Such mysterious patterns… Just think of all the knowledge left to be discovered!"

His daughter grinned. "There are more secrets in that one hall than in all of DATS. And all of them are just waiting to be revealed! I can't wait!"

"Um, that's great, Kristy." Said Thomas. "And I hope there's someone around here who's half as passionate about this as you."

She paused. "Why?"

"Well, your gonna need someone to replace you when you back with us."

The next words out her mouth floored everyone.

"But I'm not going back."

It took a few minutes for the group to recover.

Enyo was the first to find the words. "But… why not?"

Kristy held up her left hand. The turquoise eight-point star was still there, shining brightly.

"Because I'm the Princess of Heaven and I have a duty to do. This mark isn't something that just washes off. Besides, I'm needed here."

"Needed?" asked Keenan.

"Two weeks ago, this was a collapsed temple surrounded by digimon who had lost their purpose. Now look at it."

She lead them to the window. Thomas saw many digimon. Some were farming, some were rebuilding the temple. But all had purpose.

"Don't you see? They don't just need anyone. They need me. And I think, somewhere deep down, I may need them too."

She moved away from the window. "The Dragon King trusted me to do this, and I intend to do it right."

She and Biyomon left the room.

**And that's a rap!**

**Kupi:"Are you some king of perv?" Did you seriously write that?**

**Angel: Believe me, it was a surprise for me, too.**

**Kupi: Man, you are so weird.**

**Angel: Thank you! ^_^**

**Kupi: Anyway, please review everyone!**

**Angel: Anyway, review everyone!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Angel: Chapter eight is up! Whoo whoo!  
><strong>

**Kupi: We would like to thank Neko Haruko and Yumi-chan Hamano for their constant reviews. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!**

**Angel: Especially you, Neko Haruko! Your comments and advise are the best!**

**Kupi: Everyone here would love to thank you for improving this fanfiction.**

**Angel: So, without further ado, on with the show!**

**Kupi: Lady owns nothing.  
><strong>

It was after dark and the Data Squad had retired to their rooms. After Kristy insisted that the group stay another night, she treated them to a delicious feast. Apparently, being a princess had its perks.

Yoshino flopped down on her bed. They'd been seperated by gender, with Yoshi and Enyo in one room and Spencer, Thomas, and Keenan in another. "Ah… that was amazing."

"Indeed. The food was very good, and the entertainment wasn't half bad." Said Enyo.

This got Yoshi giggling. "No kidding. Jijimon and Babamon must be fun to live with."

"If I didn't watch those two single-handedly defeat you guys, I would never have believed two digimon could've caused that much chaos."

"Then you've never had to care for baby digimon." The redhead groaned. Then she sat up. "Hey, what do you think Kristy wanted to see us about?"

"No idea." Said the greek professor as she examined a note.

_Come to the roof when stars come out. Kristy._

Enyo looked out the window… and saw the first star appear in the sky.

"That's our cue. Let's go."

On their way, they ran into the boys, who got the very same letter. They all made their way to the roof.

Kristy was already there, with a telescope all set up. She smiled when she saw them.

"Perfect timing. There's something I wanted to show you before you left."

Off on the horizon, something enormous was moving.

Yoshi recognized it first. "Hey, that looks like that giant black shadow we saw earlier!"

Biyomon swiveled the telescope around to look. "There's that shadow creature again."

"Really?" Kristy looked. "Yep, it's the same one. He's the only one to get so big."

"Shadow creature? What's that?" asked Spencer.

"We're not sure what it is ourselves. They appear as these big solid shadows, so we call them shadow creatures."

Thomas looked at the shape as it moved. "Are they some kind of digimon?"

It was Biyomon who answered him. "I don't think so, but we don't really know that much about them."

"What do you know about them?" This question came from Keenan.

"Not much." Admitted Kristy. "Each one is different, so it's hard to study them. Most of them aren't violent. Most of them wander around an area like they're lost or something. Like that one. He doesn't do anything besides circle the temple. It's a bit sad, actually."

Enyo asked the next question. "How do you know so much about them? You've only been here two weeks."

"That's easy. The Dragon King told me. He keeps track of all the shadow creatures." She paused. "Which reminds me… I had something to show you, didn't I?"

"The shadow creature wasn't it?"

"No, that was just a bonus."

Kristy turned away from the telescope, her mark glowing faintly. "I know you want me to come back home, and you know that my mind is made up. But there is one thing you can do.

"You can go to the Dragon King at Luna Azul and try to convince him."

"Luna Azul?" wondered Thomas. "Blue Moon?"

"Exactly."

"Is that the Dragon King's Base?" asked Keenan.

The Princess of Heaven nodded. "Yep. I've only been there once, but it still left a big impression on me. It's very high-tech and futuristic."

"One question:" interrupted Yoshi. "Why is it called 'Blue Moon'?"

Biyomon and his human partner looked to the horizon, where the dark sky was being illuminated.

Slowly, a pale blue sphere rose above the mountains and into the night.

The Princess of Heaven stood silhouetted against the rising moon. "Because that's where it's located. On a blue moon."

* * *

><p>Miki woke up, crawled out of bed, and went to her computer. It simply wasn't practical to do secret research with Sampson interrupting. So, they'd brought the project home to Miki's PC and Megumi's Mac.<p>

Megumi, too, awoke. She yawned all the way to the computer room.

"Morning, Miki…"

"Good morning, Megumi. Sleep well?"

"Sorta." Said the blonde. "I had this really weird dream."

Miki stopped typing. "You too? What about?"

"Well, there was this annoying silver monkey arguing with a scrap heap. It was one of the stupidest things I've ever seen." She laughed. Then she stopped. "This isn't the first time I've had a dream like this, but this is the best clarity I've ever had from a dream. It was totally unbelievable."

Miki smiled. "I know exactly what you mean. Strangest thing ever."

"Speaking of strange, how's the research coming along?"

"So far, I've got six megas, two ultimates, and a whole bunch in a weird category."

"Weird category?"

"See? Take a look."

Pause.

"Oh, that one spot for odd digimon that don't fit anywhere else?"

"Yep."

Megumi cocked her head. "Maybe there's a connection."

"Could be." Said Miki. "Let's check it out."

* * *

><p>"You're sure I can't convince you to come back with us, Kristy?" asked Spencer hopefully.<p>

"I'm sure." Said Kristy. "Thanks for trying, though."

"Your mother will be lonely."

She flinched at that. "I'll visit when I can. It's not like I've totally disappeared, you know."

"Um… Kristy?" asked Yoshino. "How can you visit? You need a digital gate to get back."

She and Biyomon grinned at each other. "Digital gates are overrated. Let's leave it at that."

"You'll keep an eye out for Yushima, won't you?"

"You got it."

The group was turning to go… But Keenan kept his eyes on Kristy as he was slowly led away.

Everyone watched him… and finally Thomas and Yoshi couldn't stand it anymore.

"Keenan, if you want to talk to Kristy alone, you can." Said Yoshi.

The blue-haired boy turned to them in shock. Then he smiled. "Can I?"

Thomas laughed. "Go right ahead. We'll wait at the digi-gate."

Keenan didn't need any more prompting. He turned around and ran for Kristy.

* * *

><p>"Biyomon… He didn't even say goodbye…"<p>

The bird digimon held Kristy's hand. "It'll be okay, Kristy. Don't cry…"

"I'm not crying!"

Biyomon stared in disbelief.

"I just have something in my eye…"

"I'm sure you do."

Suddenly, a call punctuated through the forest.

"Kristy!"

They stopped and turned the noise. Keenan Crier burst through the trees.

He stopped right in front of the Princess of Heaven, and then he had to pause to catch his breath.

"Ke…Ke…" Kristy had been caught by surprise, and she was now just out of breath as he was. She took a deep breath. "Keenan! What are you doing here!"

The wild boy panted. "I'm… sorry… for not saying… anything… and for not… being there… when you… needed… me…"

"Not being there?" she gave him a questioning look. "What are you talking about?"

"If I had stayed with you after you'd collapsed…"

Kristy shook her head. "I would've gone anyway."

"Then… you went on your own free will?"

"Yes. It was totally my own decision to go." She looked a little troubled. "Actually, I have a confession to make."

Now it was Keenan's turn to look puzzled.

"I was kinda glad when you went back to class."

"Kristy!"

The Princess of Heaven took a deep breath. "I had no idea how to say good-bye to you… I guess it was just easier to leave without trying. Now I see that I was being selfish. I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry, too."

"About?"

"Well, I want you to come back with me… Even though you're happy here." He sighed. "I guess I'm a little selfish, too."

She smiled. "You could always stay here with me."

"Kristy… I'd love to… But I can't. I have a little sister to look out for."

"Oh, you're right." She paused. "Now I'm the one being selfish, aren't I?"

They laughed.

"We can work this out, right?"

"That's what friends do." Keenan said. "They work things out together."

To Keenan's shock, he found himself crying.

"Keenan?" asked Kristy. "Are you crying?"

"No! I just have something in my eye."

Biyomon laughed. "Same song, second chorus."

Kristy, too, was laughing.

"Yeah, you're right." The princess grinned. "So, you feel like meeting the Dragon King one of these days?"

He shook his head. "I'd rather not deal with him unless I have to. I don't want to risk being hypnotized."

"Suit yourself. But you never know." Kristy said. "There are still plenty of marks out there. One of them could be destined for you."

"Kristy! Don't even joke about that!"

* * *

><p>"They really do make a cute couple." Said Yoshi.<p>

Thomas agreed. "Still, it's hard to believe that this mission is a failure."

"Don't worry about it too much." Said Spencer, "Her decision was final, and her resolve was strong. There was nothing we could do. Especially since she was so happy."

"I guess…" admitted Yoshi.

Enyo was playing with the bandage on her hand. Then she stopped. Then she removed the bandage entirely.

"That's odd…"

Everyone turned to look. "What's going on?"

"I injured my hand before this trip… but look at it now."

She held up her hand. Nothing was wrong with it.

"That is really weird. Maybe the digital world healed it or something?"

"Who knows? Anyway, let's get out of…"

Thomas was interrupted mid sentence by a high pitched scream.

Everyone looked for the source. Then they looked up.

Just in time to see a girl fall out of the tree and land on her butt.

She looked about ten years old, and had short, bright pink hair. She wore a dress, jacket, and hat ensemble that capitalized her youth. Her big grey eyes were innocent and trusting.

"Ow, that really hurt…"

The Data squad recovered from their astonishment. And Spencer, ever the gentleman, was the first to step up.

"Excuse me," he asked, "Are you okay?"

She looked up and noticed the Data Squad for the first time.

"Oh, yes. I'm fine. Thanks for asking." She replied politely.

"Um… Why were you up in that tree?" inquired Yoshi.

"A Saberdramon dropped me." She sighed. "Um, can I ask your names?"

Thoman nodded. "I'm Thomas Norstein, and this is Yoshi, Spencer, and Enyo."

The girl smiled. "My name is Rhythm. It's a pleasure to meet you all."

**And that's a rap!**

**Kupi: You look like you've had a sudden inspiration.**

**Angel: I'm thinking that the Bio-hybrids might actually enter the story. Which is weird because I wasn't thinking of adding them before.**

**Kupi: Bio-hybrids... that would be Kouki, Nanami, and Ivan. Right?**

**Angel: Exactly. Hey, how about we leave up to my readers to decide?**

**Kupi: Good idea. Okay, everyone. Help Lady out! Should the bio-hybrids make an appearance?**

**Angel: Please tell me in a review! Believe me, I value your opinions.**


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